Display support arm assembly for mounting a display

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the present invention provide a display support arm assembly that includes a proximal housing supporting at least one proximal shaft, a distal housing spaced from the proximal housing and supporting at least one distal shaft, and at least one link extending from the at least one proximal shaft to the at least one distal shaft. The at least one link is coupled for pivotal movement about an axis of the at least one proximal shaft. The display support assembly also includes a gas strut extending between the proximal housing and the distal housing. The gas strut provides substantially constant force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment of the display support arm. The display support assembly further includes at least one torque element associated with either or both of the at least one proximal shaft and the at least one distal shaft. The at least one torque element providing force throughout the range of the vertical adjustment of the display support arm, wherein the force is adjustable by adding or subtracting the number of the at least one torque element.

This application is related to, and claims the benefit of priority of,U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/304,617, entitled A DISPLAY SUPPORTARM ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING A DISPLAY, filed on 7 Mar. 2016, the contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to display support arm assemblies formounting an object, for example, a flat screen monitor or the like, in adesired position for easy viewing by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Display supporting apparatuses for supporting flat screen or flat paneldisplays have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, a displaysupport arm assembly is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No2012/0006767, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entiretyfor all purposes. However, there remains a need for improved displaysupport arm assemblies such as display supporting apparatuses offeringthe advantages of the present invention, which will become apparent fromthe description of the invention provided herein and the appendeddrawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention are directed to display support armassemblies for mounting a display.

According to one aspect of the invention, a display support arm assemblyincludes a proximal housing supporting at least one proximal shaft, adistal housing spaced from the proximal housing and supporting at leastone distal shaft, and at least one link extending from the at least oneproximal shaft to the at least one distal shaft. The at least one linkis coupled for pivotal movement about an axis of the at least oneproximal shaft. The display support assembly also includes a gas strutextending between the proximal housing and the distal housing. The gasstrut provides a force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment ofthe display support arm. The display support assembly further includesat least one torque element associated with either or both of the atleast one proximal shaft and the at least one distal shaft. The at leastone torque element providing force throughout the range of the verticaladjustment of the display support arm, wherein the force is adjustableby adding or subtracting the number of the at least one torque element.

According to another aspect of the invention, a display support armassembly includes a proximal housing supporting at least one proximalshaft, a distal housing spaced from the proximal housing, and at leastone link extending from the proximal housing. The at least one link iscoupled for pivotal movement relative to the proximal housing. The atleast one link having a stud. The display support assembly also includesa gas strut extending between the proximal housing and the distalhousing. The gas strut is coupled at a distal end to the stud andcoupled at a proximal end to an adaptor. The gas strut provides a forcethroughout a range of the vertical adjustment of the display supportarm. Rotation of a rod coupled to the adaptor adjusts the force providedby the gas strut by vertically adjusting the adaptor.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a display supportassembly includes a display mounting plate and an arm coupled to thedisplay mounting plate. The arm having a mounting portion and a bodyportion. The mounting portion adapted for attachment to an object andhaving a first washer and a second washer. The first washer configuredto be affixed to an object. The second washer affixed to the mountingportion of the arm. At least one of the first washer and the secondwasher defines a groove and at least one gasket disposed between thefirst washer and the second washer and at least partly within thegroove. The first washer adapted to rotate with respect to the secondwasher. The gasket(s), the first washer, and the second washer areconfigured to resist unintended rotational movement of the arm relativeto the object.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, a display supportassembly includes an upper support arm. The upper support arm having aproximal housing, a distal housing spaced from the proximal housing andconfigured to support a gas strut extending between the proximal housingand the distal housing. The gas strut providing a force throughout arange of the vertical adjustment of the upper display support arm. Theupper support arm includes a cable management extension extending fromthe proximal housing. The cable management extension has a loop portion,positioned to retain a cable, and a keeper. The display support assemblyfurther includes a lower support arm. The lower support arm having asecuring mechanism configured to engage the keeper of the cablemanagement extension of the upper support arm, an actuator configured todisengage the keeper from the securing mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is best understood from the following detailed descriptionwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings, with likeelements having the same reference numerals. When a plurality of similarelements are present, a single reference numeral may be assigned to theplurality of similar elements with a small letter designation referringto specific elements. When referring to the elements collectively or toa non-specific one or more of the elements, the small letter designationmay be dropped. This emphasizes that according to common practice, thevarious features of the drawings are not drawn to scale unless otherwiseindicated. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features maybe expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawings are thefollowing figures:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of an embodiment of a displaysupport arm assembly according to aspects of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views of the display support arm assembly ofFIG. 1A;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a front view and rear view, respectively, of thedisplay support arm assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of thedisplay support arm assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the display support arm assembly ofFIG. 1A;

FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of a section of the mounting portion of thedisplay support arm assembly of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C is an enlarged view of a section of the upper support arm ofdisplay support assembly of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is an exploded view of the display support arm assembly of FIG.1A;

FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a section of the mounting portion of thedisplay support arm assembly of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of a securing mechanism of the displaysupport arm assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the securing mechanism of FIG. 7A withthe cover of the securing mechanism being translucent;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective view of a keeper of the display supportarm assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an display supportarm assembly according to aspects of the invention;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are side views of the display support arm assembly ofFIG. 9 in a raised position and a lowered position, respectively;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are a side view and a top view of the display supportarm assembly of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are a rear view and a front view of the displaysupport arm assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the display support arm assembly ofFIG. 12B;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the display support arm assembly of FIG.9; and

FIG. 15 is a further embodiment of a display support arm assembly inaccordance with aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention are directed to display support armassemblies for mounting a display. The display support arm assembliesmay be employed to facilitate a user's ability to rotate, move, orotherwise alter the position of the mounted display to suit the user'sdesire. It is contemplated that the display support arm assemblies maysupport objects other than displays, such as medical devices, controldevices, input devices, monitors, or any other object.

FIGS. 1A-8B illustrate an embodiment of a display arm assembly (namely,an arm assembly 10) for mounting a display. As a general overview, armassembly 10 includes a lower support arm 200 and an upper support arm300 coupled to a mounting plate 390.

Lower support arm 200 includes a mounting portion 220 having an axis 222and an appendage portion 210 extending from mounting portion 220. Asillustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, appendage portion 210 extends frommounting portion 220 at an angle α with respect to axis 222 of mountingportion 220. For example, appendage portion 210 may extend from mountingportion 220 at an angle α of between 0° and 180° with respect to axis222 of mounting portion 220.

Mounting portion 220 is configured to be affixed to an object, e.g., amedical device cart, a wall, a wheel chair, a stroller, etc. Mountingportion 220 includes at least one washer and at least one gasket.Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, mounting portion 220 has a mounting washer226 and a clamping washer 224. Mounting wash 226 is adapted forattachment to an object, e.g., by way of screw 228. Although mountingportion 220 is attached to an object by way of screw 228 passing thoughmounting washer 226 as seen in FIG. 5B, mounting portion 220 may becoupled to an object by any suitable means including mechanical means,such as riveting, crimping, welding, or the like and/or non-mechanicalmeans, such as adhesives.

Clamping washer 224 is affixed to the mounting portion 220 of lowersupport arm 200. Clamping washer 224 is rotatably coupled to mountingwasher 226 such that clamping washer 224 may rotate with respect tomounting washer 226 around axis 222, thereby enabling lower support arm200 to rotate around axis 222 with respect to the object that mountingwasher 226 is attached to. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, clamping washer224 is formed of two separate washers 224A and 224B, which may beaffixed together to clamp onto an inner end section 227 of mountingwasher 226. In one embodiment, clamping washer 224 (e.g., either or bothof clamping washer 224A and clamping washer 224B) has a diameter that isdissimilar to mounting washer 226. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, clampingwasher 224A has a shoulder portion 229A that contacts a shoulder portion229A of clamping washer 224B, such that coupling clamping washer 224Aand clamping washer 224B secures mounting washer 226 between thenon-shoulder portions 229B of clamping washer 224A and 224B. There maybe a clearance between the non-shoulder portion 229B of one of theclamping washers 224A or 224B and the mounting washer 226 due to thepositioning of the gasket 320. Coupling clamping washer 224A andclamping washer 224B may produce a predetermined amount of compressionof gasket 230. In one embodiment, a predetermined amount of frictionforce is produced upon rotation of mounting portion 220 by the couplingof clamping washer 224A and clamping washer 224B, which produces apredetermined amount of compression of gasket 230 (e.g. an O-ring). Inanother embodiment, mounting washer 226 is formed from a metal materialand clamping washer 224A and/or 224B is formed from a non-metal materialsuch as a polymer material.

Clamping washer 224 defines a groove 225 configured to receive at leastone gasket 230, e.g., two or more, three or more, four or more, etc.Upon assembly of mounting portion 220, gasket 230 is disposed at leastpartly within groove 225 and between clamping washer 224 and mountingwasher 226. Gasket 230 may be formed of any suitable material, such asrubber, silicone, plastic, etc. In one embodiment, gasket 230 is anO-ring. Gasket 230 is not limited to any particular shape and may have ageometric shape, such as a square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon, etc.,or a non-geometric shape that is adapted for groove 230. By modifyingthe size, shape, or material of gasket 230, it is possible to increaseor decrease the friction between clamping washer 224 and mounting washer226, thereby increasing or decreasing the amount of force required torotate lower support arm 200 around axis 222. Additionally and/oralternatively, the depth of groove 225 may be increased or decreased tomodify the amount of force and compression on gasket 230, therebymodifying the friction between clamping washer 224 and mounting washer226. The use of clamping washer 224, mounting washer 226, and gasket 230advantageously allows a predetermined amount of friction to be obtainedby utilizing gaskets having various sizes, shapes, and materials.

Additionally, use of gasket 230 to produce rotational friction betweenclamping washer 224 and mounting washer 226, provides several advantagesover conventional systems. For example, increasing the compression ofgasket 230 produces a predictable increase of friction. In oneembodiment, the friction produced by gasket 230 increases substantiallyexponentially with increasing compression of gasket 230 within aspecified range of compression forces. Additionally and/oralternatively, long life cycles may be obtained by employing clampingwasher 224, mounting washer 226, and gasket 230 disposed therebetween.

Appendage portion 210 of lower support arm 200 extends from mountingportion 220 to a distal end portion 212. Distal end portion 212 iscoupled to joint portion 240 to provide a connection between lowersupport arm 200 and upper support arm 300. For example, as illustratedin FIGS. 1A-4B, distal end portion 212 of appendage portion 210 isattached to joint portion 240, which is attached to distal portion 310of upper support arm 300.

Joint portion 240 is configured to permit rotation of upper support arm300 with respect to lower support arm 200. For example, joint portion240 supports a stud 242 having a longitudinal axis 244. Joint portion240 includes a lower housing 246 and an upper housing 248. Lower housing246 and upper housing 248 together define a cavity that houses stud 242.Stud 242 may be secured within the cavity defined by lower housing 246and upper housing 248 by any suitable means. One of either lower housing246 or upper housing 248 may rotate with respect to stud 242 aroundlongitudinal axis 244. In one embodiment, both lower housing 246 andupper housing 248 may rotate with respect to stud 242 aroundlongitudinal axis 244. Friction elements may be coupled around stud 242to provide a friction force to resist rotation of upper support arm 300with respect to lower support arm 200. A protrusion or the like may becoupled to stud 242 or cavity 345 defined by housing 248 and/or 246 toact as a hard stop, which prevents rotation of upper housing 248 withrespect to lower housing 246 beyond a predetermined point.

Upper support arm 300 includes a proximal housing, which supports atleast one proximal shaft, and a distal housing, which supports at leastone distal shaft. At least one distal housing is spaced from the atleast one proximal housing. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, proximal housing318 supports two proximal shafts 320A and 320B, each having alongitudinal axis 321A and 321B, respectively. Proximal shafts 320A and320B may be arranged in proximal housing 318 such that longitudinal axis321A and 321B are parallel and/or reside in the same vertical plane.Distal housing 312 supports two distal shafts 314A and 314B, each havinga longitudinal axis 315A and 315B. Similar to proximal shafts 320A and320B, distal shafts 314A and 314B may be arranged such that longitudinalaxis 315A and 315B are parallel and/or reside in the same verticalplane.

Upper support arm 300 also includes at least one link extending from theat least one proximal shaft to the at least one distal shaft. Links 322Aand 322B extend from proximal shaft 320A and 320B to distal shaft 314Aand 314B, respectively. Links 322 are coupled for pivotal movement aboutlongitudinal axis 321 of proximal shafts 320 and/or distal shafts 314.Although the embodiment in FIG. 5A illustrates two links (e.g., 322A and322B), two proximal shafts (320A and 320B), and two distal shafts (e.g.,314A and 314B), more than or less than two links 322, two proximalshafts 320, and/or two distal shafts 314 may be employed withoutdeviating from the spirit of the invention. According to one embodiment,longitudinal axis 321A and 321B of shafts 320A and 320B remain in asingle vertical plane as proximal portion 316 of upper support arm 300is raised or lowered with respect to distal portion 310 of upper supportarm 300. In another embodiment, upper support arm 300 may be verticallyadjusted (e.g., raised or lowered) without altering the orientation ofdisplay mount 390 and/or proximal housing 318 with respect to the distalhousing 312. Additionally and/or alternatively, link 322A may remainparallel to link 322B as upper support arm 300 is adjusted verticallywith respect to lower support arm 200.

Upper support arm 300 also includes a gas strut 330. Gas strut 330includes a strut housing 332 and a piston 334. In one embodiment, gasstrut 330 is a telescoping gas strut adapted to counter balance theweight of the display and/or object mounted to mounting plate 390, suchthat the vertical position of upper support arm 300 is maintained. Struthousing 332 may contain a pressurized fluid therein, such as apressurized gas or a pressurized liquid. Piston 334 may have a headportion with an aperture that limits the amount of fluid passing therethrough from one side of piston 334 to the other side of piston 334 aspiston 334 moves within strut housing 332. According to one embodiment,the fluid within strut housing 332 biases piston 334 outwards from struthousing 332 as the presence of piston 334 reduces the area of the headportion which the fluid within strut housing 332 applies pressure.

Gas strut 330 may be configured to provide substantially constant forcethat provides resistance to movement throughout a range of the verticaladjustment of upper support arm 300. For example, gas strut 330 may beconfigured to provide a resistive force that varies by 10% or less asupper support arm 300 is raised or lowered vertically with respect tolower support arm 200. Gas strut 330 may also be adapted to dampenvertical movement of upper support arm 300, e.g., to provide the userwith better control when adjusting the height of upper support arm 300.

Gas strut 330 extends between proximal housing 318 and distal housing312. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, gas strut 330 is coupled at a first endto distal housing 312 by way of adaptor 338 and coupled at a second endto a knob 336 attached to link 322A. Adaptor 338 includes an aperturehaving a threaded inner surface. The threaded inner surface of adaptor338 is mated with the threads of adjustment rod 340, which is disposedat least partly within the threaded aperture of adaptor 338 such thatrotation of adjustment rod 340 vertically raises or lowers adaptor 338along adjustment rod 340. By vertically raising or lowering adaptor 338along adjustment rod 340, the amount of substantially constant resistiveforce provided by gas strut 330 may be increased or decreased.Accordingly to one embodiment, adjustment rod 340 is accessible throughan opening 311 in distal housing 312 to permit a user to adjust theresistive force provided by gas strut 330 after assembly of arm assembly10, e.g., using a hexagon screw bit.

Adjustment rod 340 and adaptor 338 may be coupled to distal housing 312by way of shell 342. Shell 342 is adapted to reduce and/or prevent noiserelated to gas strut 330 being compressed, extended, and/or rotatingover center axis 339 (e.g., an axis defined by piston 334 of gas strut330 being parallel with adaptor 338). Shell 342 may be positioned atleast partially within cavity 345 defined by an inner surface of distalhousing 312. Shell 342 may be positionally secured within cavity 345 bycontacting, e.g., 5 or more walls and/or each of the walls of cavity345. In one embodiment, shell 342 is press fitted within cavity 345 ofdistal housing 312, thereby securing shell 342 within cavity 345 ofdistal housing 312. Alternatively, shell 342 may be secured by way ofmechanical means, such as fasteners, welding, etc., or non-mechanicalmeans, such as adhesives.

Shell 342 has at least one opening 343 for receiving at least a portionof adjustment rod 340. Opening 343 of shell 342 is preferably alignedwith the opening 311 in distal housing 312, such that adjustment rod 340is accessible through opening 311 and opening 343. Adjustment rod 340and shell 342 may be configured such that adjustment rod 340 does notcontact distal housing 340 upon assembly.

Shell 342 is preferably formed of a material that is dissimilar to thematerial of distal housing 312. For example, shell 342 may be formed ofa material that is more flexible than the material of distal housing312, such that shell 342 may be securely retained in cavity 345 by pressfitting or interference fitting. Distal housing 312 may be formed of ametal material. Shell 342 may be formed of a polymer material or have apolymer outer surface layer. Suitable polymer materials include, but arenot limited to, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene,polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyoxmethylene or the like.

By forming shell 342 from a suitable polymer material, shell 342 may beconfigured to retain adjustment rod 340 within a specified position incavity 345 defined by distal housing 312 (e.g., such that opening 343 ofshell 342 aligns with the opening 311) with a minimal clearance. Asresult of the suitable polymer materials, a minimal clearance betweenshell 342 and cavity 345 defined by distal housing 312 and/or a minimalclearance between adjustment rod 340 and shell 342 can be obtained whilenot requiring tight/strict manufacturing tolerances. For example, byemploying suitable polymer materials having a desirable amount offlexibility, shell 342 may retain adjustment rod 340 and adaptor 338 ina specific position with respect to the distal housing 312 withoutrequiring shell 342 to be precisely manufactured. In other words, shell342 may be advantageously configured to provide the necessaryflexibility to satisfy tight clearances without requiring themanufacturing processes to comply with very tight tolerances.

In one embodiment, shell 342 is configured such that the assembly ofdistal housing 312 may include: fitting (e.g., loose fitted or pressfitted) adjustment rod 340 partially within shell 342; positioningadjustment rod 340 through adaptor 338; fitting (e.g., loose fitted orpress fitted) shell 342 within cavity 345 of distal housing 312. Inanother embodiment, assembly of distal housing 312 may include: fitting(e.g., loose fitted or press fitted) shell 342 within cavity 345 ofdistal housing 312; fitting (e.g., loose fitted or press fitted)adjustment rod 340 partially within shell 342; positioning adjustmentrod 340 through adaptor 338.

Upper support arm 300 has at least one torque element associated witheither or both of the at least one proximal shaft 320 and at least onedistal shaft 314. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, torque elements 360 arecoupled to proximal shaft 320A to provide friction torque to resistvertical adjustment of upper support arm 300. Torque elements 360 may beadapted to provide force throughout the range of vertical adjustment ofarm assembly 10, wherein the force is adjustable by adding orsubtracting the number of torque elements 360. Coupling torque elements360 to proximal shaft 320 and/or distal shaft 314 advantageously enablesthe amount of friction torque to be increased or decreased by adding orsubtracting one or more torque elements 360 after arm assembly 10 issubstantially assembled. Additionally and/or alternatively, the frictionproduced by torque element 360 may be increased or decreased byincreasing or decreasing, respectively, the size and/or thickness oftorque elements 360, or the diametral interference of the torqueelements 360 with respect to housing (e.g., housings 312 and/or 318)and/or shaft (e.g., shafts 320 and/or 314). One or more torque elements360 may be asymmetrical torque elements. According to one embodiment,torque elements 360 provide a greater torque friction to resistrotational movements that would vertically lower proximal portion 316 ofupper support arm 300 with respect to distal portion 310 of uppersupport arm 300.

The amount of friction force applied asymmetrically may be increasedand/or decreased by having one or more torque elements 360 disposed toproduce an asymmetrically greater friction force that resists movementin a first direction and one or more torque elements disposed to producean asymmetrically greater friction force that resists movement in asecond direction. For example, two or more torque elements 360,producing asymmetrical force may be positioned to produce opposingasymmetrical friction forces that result in the friction force beingapplied symmetrically to movement in either the first rotationaldirection or the second rotation direction. This configurationadvantageously enables arm assembly 10 to be modified prior to shipping,to produce a friction force that is applied asymmetrically orsymmetrically at an amount that satisfies the request of the customer'sspecifications.

Torque elements 360 advantageously enable sufficient friction to beproduced when proximal housing 318 is raised or lowered with respect todistal housing 312, such that gas strut 330 may be configured withoutfriction elements. In one embodiment, operatively coupling torqueelements 360 to shafts 320 and/or 314 enables more friction to beproduced than conventional configurations employing friction elementsaround the piston of the gas strut. Because torque elements 360 dampenthe bounce sensation produced after a gas strut is rapidly compressed orexpanded as a result of the rapid compression or expansion of the gas orfluid in the gas strut, torque elements 360 are capable of dampening thebounce sensation from more power gas struts than conventionalconfigurations. Accordingly, in one embodiment, gas strut 330 compriseshousing 332 and piston 334 mounted for movement with respect to housing332, wherein gas strut 330 is devoid of a friction element forgenerating friction between piston 334 and housing 332 to resistmovement of piston 334 with respect to housing 332.

Conventional gas struts having friction elements around the piston alsohave a more limited range of extension and retraction per a specifiedlength of gas strut as the friction elements around the piston reducethe amount the piston may be displaced with respect to the gas cylinderof the gas strut. However, because arm assembly 10 employs torqueelements 360 around shafts 320 and/or 314, gas strut 330 mayadvantageously have a greater range of extension and retraction ascompared to conventional configurations having friction elements aroundthe piston of the gas strut. Accordingly, arm assembly 10 enablessmaller, more power, and cheaper gas struts to be employed. Theconfigurations disclosed herein may also have a longer life cycle thanconventional configurations as a result of removing the frictionelements from around the piston of the gas strut.

Referring to FIGS. 7A-8B, arm assembly 10 also includes a securingmechanism 250 configured to secure upper support arm 300 with respect tolower support arm 200 by engaging a keeper 352. Although securingmechanism 250 is attached to lower support arm 200 and keeper 352 ofcable management extension 350 is attached to upper support arm 300 inFIGS. 1A-8B, in other embodiments securing mechanism 250 is attached toupper support arm 300 and cable management extension 350 is attached tolower support arm 200.

Securing mechanism 250 includes a hook portion 254, a biasing element256 and a cover 252 defining a space between lower support arm 200 andcover 252. Hook portion 254 and biasing element 256 are disposed withinthe space defined between lower support arm 200 and cover 252. Cover 252has a passageway 253 extending there through. Biasing element 256 isadapted to urge hook portion 254 toward an engaging position, in whichhook portion 254 is accessible through passageway 253. Hook portion 254of securing mechanism 250 is configured to engage keeper 352 of cablemanagement extension 350 while in an engaging position.

Actuator 260 is configured to disengage hook portion 254 of securingmechanism 250 from keeper 352 of cable management extension 350. Asillustrated in FIG. 7B, actuator 260 is coupled to hook portion 254 byconnector 262. Accordingly, by moving actuator 260 inward to actuateactuator 260, hook portion 254 is also moved inwards, thereby releasingkeeper 352 and disengaging cable management extension 350 from securingmechanism 250.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, cable management system 350 includes aloop portion 354 adapted to retain a cable. Loop portion 354 is coupledto upper support arm 300 (e.g., at proximal portion 316) though side356A and 356B. In one embodiment, however, cable management system 350has a slot extending through at least one side 356A or 356B, such thatloop portion 354 is coupled to upper support arm 300 by either 356A or356B. Cable management system 350 advantageously provides strain relieffor the cable retained within cable management system 350, e.g., bymaintaining the cable near upper support arm 300. Preferably, cablemanagement system 350 is coupled to upper support arm 300 at a locationnear the axis of rotation of mounting joint 370. By coupling cablemanagement system 350 near the axis of rotation of mounting joint 370(e.g. near axis 374 of mounting stud 372), cables retained by cablemanagement system 350 are unlikely to wrap around mounting joint 370 asupper housing 378 is rotated with respect to lower housing 376.

Upper support arm 300 also includes an undercarriage 302 that is coupledto link 322B. Undercarriage 302 defines a passageway adapted to receivea cable. Cable management system 350 and undercarriage 302 may receivethe same cable to maintain the cable near upper support arm 300, therebyfacilitating rotation of upper support arm 300 with respect to lowersupport arm 200 without tangling of the cable around arm assembly 10.

Upper support arm 300 is coupled to mounting plate 390 by way ofmounting joint 370. Mounting joint 370 is configured to permit rotationof mounting plate 390 with respect to upper support arm 300. Mountingjoint 370 supports a mounting stud 372 having a longitudinal axis 374.Mounting joint 370 includes lower housing 376 and upper housing 378,which together define a cavity that houses a mounting stud 372. Mountingstud 372 may be secured within the cavity defined by lower housing 376and upper housing 378 by any suitable means. One of either lower housing376 or upper housing 378 may rotate with respect to mounting stud 372around longitudinal axis 374. In one embodiment, both lower housing 376and upper housing 378 may rotate with respect to mounting stud 372around longitudinal axis 374. Friction elements may be coupled aroundmounting stud 372 to provide a friction force to resist rotation ofmounting plate 390 with respect to upper support arm 300 aroundlongitudinal axis 374.

Mounting joint 370 and mounting plate 390 are coupled together by way ofconnection to shaft 380, which enables mounting plate 390 to be rotatedvertically around shaft 380 with respect to mounting joint 370. Torqueelements 382 are disposed on shaft 380 to provide a friction force toresist rotation of mounting plate 390 around shaft 380 with respect tomounting joint 370. Preferably, torque elements 382 provides a staticfriction force that is equal to or greater than the weight of thedisplay and/or object mounted to mounting plate 390.

FIGS. 9-15 illustrate additional embodiments of arm assemblies 20 and 30for mounting a display. Arm assembly 20 is similar to arm assembly 10(depicted in FIGS. 1A-8B), except that arm assembly 20 does not includean upper support arm and a lower support arm. Accordingly, where armassembly 20 utilized features similar to those of arm assembly 10,reference numbers with a prime are applied. It should be understood thatalthough similar reference numbers are utilized, various aspects of thefeatures of arm assembly 20, e.g., size, material, etc., may bedifferent than those described with respect to arm assembly 10.

As a general overview, arm assembly 20 includes a joint portion 240′, anupper support arm 300′, a mounting joint portion 370′ and a mountingplate 390′.

Joint portion 240′ includes lower housing 246′ and upper housing 248′.Lower housing 246′ and upper housing 248′ together define a cavity thathouses stud 242′. Lower housing 246′ is configured for attachment to anobject. Upper housing 248′ is coupled to support arm 300′. Joint portion240′ is configured to permit rotation of support arm 300′ around alongitudinal axis 244′ of stud 242′ with respect to lower housing 246′.

Support arm 300′ includes links 322A′ and 322B′ extending from proximalshafts 320A′ and 320B′ to distal shafts 314A′ and 314B′. Links 322′ arecoupled for pivotal movement about longitudinal axis 321′ of proximalshafts 320′ and/or distal shafts 314′. According to one embodiment,longitudinal axis 321A′ and 321B′ of shafts 320A′ and 320B′ remain inthe same vertical plane as proximal portion 316′ of support arm 300′ israised or lowered with respect to distal portion 310′ of support arm300′. In another embodiment, longitudinal axis 315A′ and 315B′ of shafts314A′ and 314B′ remain in a single vertical plane as proximal portion316′ of support arm 300′ is raised or lowered with respect to distalportion 310′ of support arm 300′. Additionally or alternatively, supportarm 300′ may be vertically adjusted (e.g., raised or lowered) withoutaltering the orientation of the display mount 390′ and/or the proximalhousing 318′ with respect to the distal housing 312′. Additionallyand/or alternatively, link 322A′ may remain parallel to link 322B′ asproximal portion 316′ of support arm 300′ is adjusted vertically withrespect to distal portion 310′ of support arm 300′.

Support arm 300′ also includes a gas strut 330′ and torque elements 360′to provide force throughout the range of the vertical adjustment of thearm assembly 20. The amount of resistive force provided by gas strut330′ and torque elements 360′ force is adjustable by adding orsubtracting the number of torque elements 360′ and/or by verticallyadjusting adaptor 338′, which is coupled to one end of gas strut 330′,along adjustment rod 340′.

Mounting joint 370′ is configured to permit rotation of mounting plate390′ with respect to support arm 300′. Mounting joint 370′ includeslower housing 376′ and upper housing 378′, which together define acavity that houses a mounting stud 372′. One of either lower housing376′ or upper housing 378′ may rotate with respect to mounting stud 372′around longitudinal axis 374′, thereby enabling rotation of mountingplate 390′ around mounting stud 372′ with respect to support arm 300′.

FIG. 15 illustrates a further embodiment of an arm assembly 30 inaccordance with aspects of the invention. Arm assembly 30 is similar toarm assembly 10, except that arm assembly 30 (depicted in FIG. 15) doesnot include a securing mechanism. Accordingly, where arm assembly 30utilized features similar to those of arm assembly 10, reference numberswith a double prime are applied.

Arm assembly 30 includes a lower support arm 200″, an upper support arm300″, and a mounting plate 390″. Although lower support arm 200″ andupper support arm 300″ of arm assembly 30 are similar to lower supportarm 200 and upper support arm 300 of arm assembly 10, lower support arm200″ of arm assembly 30 does not include a securing mechanism 250 andupper support arm 300″ of arm assembly 30 does not include a cablemanagement extension 350.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein withreference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to belimited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be madein the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claimsand without departing from the invention.

1. A display support arm assembly configured for vertical adjustment ofa display, the display support arm comprising: a proximal housingsupporting at least one proximal shaft; a distal housing spaced from theproximal housing and supporting at least one distal shaft; at least onelink extending from the at least one proximal shaft to the at least onedistal shaft, the at least one link being coupled for pivotal movementabout an axis of the at least one proximal shaft; a gas strut extendingbetween the proximal housing and the distal housing, the gas strutproviding a force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment of thedisplay support arm; at least one torque element associated with eitheror both of the at least one proximal shaft and the at least one distalshaft, the at least one torque element providing force throughout therange of the vertical adjustment of the display support arm, wherein theforce is adjustable by adding or subtracting the number of the at leastone torque element.
 2. The display support arm of claim 1, furthercomprising a second proximal shaft spaced from the first proximal shaftand a second distal shaft spaced from the first distal shaft.
 3. Thedisplay support arm of claim 2, further comprising a second linkextending from the second proximal shaft to the second distal shaft. 4.The display support arm of claim 3, wherein the second link is parallelto the first link.
 5. The display support arm of claim 1, wherein thegas strut comprises a housing and a piston mounted for movement withrespect to the housing, wherein the gas strut is devoid of a frictionelement for generating friction between the piston and the housing toresist movement of the piston with respect to the housing.
 6. Thedisplay support arm of claim 1, wherein the at least one torque elementproduces an asymmetrical friction force, such that the at least onetorque element produces more friction to resist movement in a firstdirection than to resist movement in a second direction
 7. The displaysupport arm of claim 6, wherein one or more torque elements produce anasymmetrically greater friction force resisting a downwards movement andone or more torque elements produce an asymmetrically greater frictionforce resisting an upward movement.
 8. A display support arm assemblyconfigured for vertical adjustment, the display support arm comprising:a proximal housing supporting at least one proximal shaft; a distalhousing spaced from the proximal housing; at least one link extendingfrom the proximal housing, the at least one link being coupled forpivotal movement relative to the proximal housing, the at least one linkhaving a knob; and a gas strut extending between the proximal housingand the distal housing, the gas strut being coupled at a distal end tothe knob and coupled at a proximal end to an adaptor, and wherein thegas strut provides a force throughout a range of the vertical adjustmentof the display support arm; and wherein the adaptor is mounted forlinear adjustability to adjust the force provided by the gas strut. 9.The display support arm assembly of claim 8, further comprising a shellcoupling the adjustment rod to the distal housing, the shell retainingthe adjustment rod with respect to the distal housing, wherein the shellis formed of a material that is dissimilar to a material of the distalhousing.
 10. The display support arm assembly of claim 9, wherein thematerial of the shell is more flexible than the material of the distalhousing.
 11. The display support arm assembly of claim 10, wherein theshell is formed of a polymer material.
 12. The display support armassembly of claim 11, wherein the distal housing is formed of a metallicmaterial.
 13. The display support arm assembly of claim 9, wherein theshell is disposed within a cavity in the distal housing.
 14. The displaysupport arm assembly of claim 13, wherein the shell is secured withinthe cavity by press fitting the shell at least partially within thecavity.
 15. The display support arm assembly of claim 13, wherein theadjustment rod does not contact the distal housing.
 16. The displaysupport arm assembly of claim 15, wherein the distal housing defines anopening providing access to the adjustment rod, and the shell defines anopening providing access to the adjustment rod that aligns with theopening of the distal housing.
 17. A display support arm assemblyconfigured for pivotal movement with respect to an object, the displaysupport arm assembly comprising: a display mounting plate; an armcoupled to the display mounting plate, the arm having a mounting portionand a body portion; the mounting portion adapted for attachment to theobject and having a first washer and a second washer, the first washerbeing configured to be affixed to the object, and the second washerbeing affixed to the mounting portion of the arm; at least one of thefirst washer and the second washer defines a groove; and at least onegasket disposed between the first washer and the second washer and atleast partly within the groove, the first washer being adapted to rotatewith respect to the second washer; wherein the at least one gasket, thefirst washer, and the second washer are configured to resist unintendedrotational movement of the arm relative to the object.
 18. The displaysupport arm assembly of claim 17, wherein the friction produced by theat least one gasket increases in response to an increase in compressionof the at least one gasket.
 19. The display support arm assembly ofclaim 17, wherein the at least one gasket is an O-ring.
 20. The displaysupport arm assembly of claim 19, further comprising a third washer,wherein the first washer and the second washer have dissimilardiameters, the first washer being coupled to the third washer.
 21. Thedisplay support arm assembly of claim 20, wherein coupling the firstwasher to the third washer produces a predetermined amount ofcompression of the O-ring.
 22. The display support arm assembly of claim20, wherein the first washer has a shoulder portion and a non-shoulderportion and upon coupling the first washer to the third washer, theshoulder portion of the first washer contacts the third washer and thenon-shoulder portion of the first washer is proximal to an inner endsection of the second washer.
 23. The display support arm assembly ofclaim 22, wherein there is a clearance defined between the non-shoulderportion of the first washer and inner end section of the second washer.24. A display support arm assembly configured for vertical adjustment ofa display, the display support arm assembly comprising: an upper supportarm, the upper support arm having a proximal housing, a distal housingspaced from the proximal housing and configured to support a gas strutextending between the proximal housing and the distal housing, the gasstrut providing force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment ofthe upper display support arm, a cable management extension extendingfrom the proximal housing, the cable management extension having a loopportion positioned to retain a cable and a keeper; a lower support arm,the lower support arm having a securing mechanism configured to engagethe keeper of the cable management extension of the upper support arm,and an actuator configured to disengage the keeper from the securingmechanism.
 25. The display support arm assembly configured for verticaladjustment of a display of claim 24, wherein the keeper is configured tohave a hook shape.
 26. The display support arm assembly configured forvertical adjustment of a display of claim 24, wherein at least one sideportion extends from the loop portion to couple to the upper armsupport.
 27. The display support arm assembly configured for verticaladjustment of a display of claim 24, wherein two side portions extendfrom the loop portion to couple to the upper arm support, the loopportion and two side portions defining a slot for receiving cables.